Improved metallic shutter



ATFN'I OFFIGF..

E. PERKINS, oF FoND DU LAC, wISooNsIN.

'IMPRovEo METALuc sHu'rTER.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 82,159, dated September15, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAB PERKINS, of Fond du Lac, in the county of Fonddu Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metallic Shutters for Buildings; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, and to the letters of refence marked thereon, likeletters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

My invention consists in constructing metal shutters for buildings in amanner to render them stronger than when made of a single thickness, ashas heretofore been customary. It further consists in securing withinthe shutter a reservoir of water to render it more eectually fire-proof.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a single shutter. Fig. 2 is an edgeview of the same. Fig. 3 is inside view of one-halt` of the shutter,showing the water-vessel in place; and Fig. 4. is a transverse verticalsection, taken on the line as w of Fig. 1.

In constructing my improved shutter, I take a plate of iron of theproper size, and form it up, in a die or otherwise, in the mannerrepresented in the drawings, the body of it being recessed on theinside, and having a ange, b, projecting radially all around, the angeand body being united by an inclined shoulder, d, as represented moreclearly in Figs. 2 and 4. After making a pair of these plates, A, justalike, they are placed with their recessed sides together and firmlysecured by riveting their flanges b together all around. Previously tothus uniting the plates A, I

form in each of them, near one end, a series of openings in the form ofsmall slits or holes, as represented at f and m of Fig. l, the platesbeing so united as to bring the openings or perforations at the bottomof the inside plate and at the top of the outside plate, as repsented inFigs. l and 3. The object of these openings is to render the shuttermoreeffectually fire-proof by permitting a current of air to pass upbetween the plates, when heated from the outside by the burning of anadjoining building.

In order to render them still more eiectually ure-proof, I securebetween the plates A a metallic can, c, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, whichis to be lled with water, so that, as soon as the heat becomessuiciently intense, steam will be generated and fill the space betweenthe plates.

The canor reservoir may be of any desired size and form adapted to thespace it is to occupy; but I prefer to have it so arranged as to leavean air-space between it and the plates, as shown in Fig. 4..

A small spout or tube may be arranged to come opposite, or protrudethrough, a hole in the inside plate, as shown at lin Fig. 4, throughwhich the can may be replenished or filled, when necessary. y

- When the water-reservoir is used, there may be openings-to permit thesteam to escape on the inside, if preferred, for the purpose of moreeffectually protecting the wood-work of the window or frames.

It is obvious that, if preferred, the space between the plates A may beentirely lled with any suitable non-conducting substance, to render theshutters fire-proof, the same as the walls of safes are now filled.Inrsuch cases the recesses in the plates may be made more shallow, so asnot to render the shutter, when thus lled, too heavy.

By constructing the shutters on this plan, they are rendered very muchstronger than when made of a single flat plate or sheet; and it isobvious that much lighter metal may be used in their construction. Ashutter thus made is not only a much better protection against fire, butit is also a much better protection against burglars, as it is far morerigid, and not so easily pried open.

If desired, the plates may also be corrugated, to render them still morerigid, in which case it would be best to have the corrugations runvertically ou one plate and transversely on the other, or diagonally inone direction on one plate and diagonally in the opposite direction onthe other plate.

The hinges c may be formed on the protrudingends -ofhbars which extend-across ybetweem thegplates, and securely riveted to 'the flanges ateach side, 'as shown in Fig. 3.

The fastening may consist of an ironbar, e, bolted securely to theinside plate A, in the' same manner that it is ordinarily used onmetallic shutters.

Having thus described my invention, what 1. A metallic shutter formed oftwo plat'es, 1*

recessed .and riveted together in the mann-er substantially asdescribed. n

v2. A metal shutter' constructed substantially as herein described, andprovided with a. water-reservoir, substantially as set forth.

. E. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

M. BLAIR, 'HAR' 'RYQD'U'RANR

